Kindergarten: The Musical is an American-Canadian Disney Jr. TV series produced by Walt Disney Pictures and Oddbot Entertainment. It was released across Disney+ and Disney Jr. on September 3, 2024.
Summary[]
"Kindergarten: The Musical" is an animated musical series about navigating all of the "firsts" young kids experience while attending kindergarten. Whether having your own set of school supplies for the first time, finding a place to sit in the lunchroom or making a new friend, kindergartners can feel so many feelings that are sometimes hard to express with just words; singing about it feels more comforting and expressive. The series follows 5-year-old Berti Benavente, who, with the help of her amazing teacher and new friends, uses her imagination to express her fears, excitement and joy through big Broadway-style song and dance numbers, proving that kindergarten is just like a big stage and there is nothing a good song can't fix.
Cast[]
Main[]
- Andrea Guzman as Berti Benavente
- Zander Chin as Radish Ritzal
- Leah Newman as Rose
- Shyam Balasubramanian as Tej
- Tandi Fomukong as Abigail
- Kailen Jude as Kenji
- Randy Perrine as Jamil
- Alice Halsey as Kat and Ellie
- Gina Torres as Ms. Sonja Moreno
Recurring[]
- Aloe Blacc as Mr. Benavente
- Ana Isabelle as Mrs. Benavente
- Vincent Rodriguez III as Mr. Ritzal
Guest[]
- Leona Lewis as Hedgehog Holmes
Production[]
On April 29, 2022, during the Disney Jr. Fun Fest event, it was announced that Michelle Lewis and Charlton Pettus' preschool series Kindergarten: The Musical had been greenlit for Disney Jr. Lewis and Pettus executive producer alongside Tom Warburton, Kay Hanley and Dan Petty, with Laurie Israel serving as co-producer/story editor. The series is produced by Oddbot Entertainment in association with Disney Jr. Warburton, Guy Moore (3D), and Mallory Coronado (2D) serve as the series' supervising directors. Eva Noblezada helms the main title.
Gallery[]
Videos[]
Trivia[]
- This is the first Disney Jr. series to be an inspiration of a preexisting Disney Channel Original Movie.
- This is the second series to be a TV series inspiration of the High School Musical films. The first being High School Musical: The Musical: The Series which was the very first Disney+ original series exclusive when the streaming service was first launched on November 12, 2019.
- While no direct ties to it have been confirmed, the series apparently takes its inspiration from High School Musical in terms of concept and set up.
- This is the first Disney Jr. series to use both 3D CGI and 2D animation.
- This is only the third Disney Jr. series to use 2D animation following Jake and the Never Land Pirates and The Lion Guard.
Cultural references[]
A majority of the series has preschool aged references and parodies of select songs and plots from classic Broadway and film musicals, including some featuring Disney celebrities.
- The first episode "There's No Place Like Kindergarten/We're Off to Get a Sticker" is a reference to the musical number, We're Off to See the Wizard, and the quote, "There's No Place Like Home", from the hit MGM movie musical The Wizard of Oz.
- The second episode "One Singular Self-Portrait/Don't Cry for Me, Kindergarten" is a parody of One from A Chorus Line and Don't Cry for Me, Argentina from the Andrew Lloyd-Webber musical Evita.
- The third episode "Little Job of Horrors/Bye Bye Alfie" is a parody of Little Shop of Horrors and Bye Bye Birdie, the latter of which starring Mary Poppins co-star Dick Van Dyke, who was later replaced by CBS game show host Gene Rayburn, most famous for Break the Bank and Match Game (the latter of which aired on ABC from 2016-2021)
- The fourth episode "Shoeloose/If I Only Had a Scarf" is a parody of the Kenny Loggins musical Footloose and If I Only Had a Brain from The Wizard of Oz.
- The fifth episode "Bunny Girl/Give My Regards to Backdrops" is a reference to Funny Girl and Give My Regards to Broadway from Little Johnny.
- The sixth episode "Twin the Heights/Everything's Coming Up Jamil" is a parody of In the Heights and Everything's Coming Up Roses from Gypsy.
- The seventh episode "The Witch and I/Berti and the Beast" is a parody of the legendary Broadway classic The King and I by Rodgers and Hammerstein and the 1991/2017 Disney movie musical Beauty and the Beast. (starring Paige O'Hara, Robby Benson and Richard White)
- The eighth episode "Phantom of the Trumpet/Food, Glorious Food Fair" is a reference of the Andrew Lloyd-Webber musical Phantom of the Opera and Food, Glorious Food from Oliver!.
- The ninth episode "All or Muffin/Bring in 'da Cake, Bring in 'da Fun" is a parody of All er Nuthin' from Rodgers and Hammerstein's Oklahoma! and Bring in 'da Noise, Bring in 'da Funk.
- The tenth episode "Don't Grow for Me/You Can't Stop the Beads" is a reference of Grow For Me from Little Shop of Horrors and You Can't Stop the Beat, the grand finale number from Hairspray (and its 2007 movie adaptation starring Grease lead role actor John Travolta and High School Musical lead role actor Zac Efron).
- The 11th episode "Meet Me in Santo Domingo/Some Enchanted Second Grader" is a reference to Meet Me in St. Louis and the ballad "Some Enchanted Evening" from Rodgers & Hammerstein's South Pacific, the latter of which was sung by Frank Oz as Bert from Sesame Street on the Connie Stevens episode of The Muppet Show in 1976.
- The 12th episode "Do You Hear the Students Sing?/Hello, Dino Dolly!" is a parody of "Do You Hear the People Sing?" from Les Miserables and Hello, Dolly!.
- The 13th episode "Squish in Boots/Take Me or Leaf Me" is referenced to the Broadway musical version of the DreamWorks Animation SKG's Shrek franchise film Puss in Boots and Take Me or Leave Me from Rent starring Idina Menzel and a few others.
- The 14th episode and Christmas special "A Winter's Walrus/One Holiday More" is a reference to A Winter's Tale by Queen and "One Day More", the grand finale number of Les Miserables.
- The 15th episode "A Star is Drawn/My Tooth Fairy Lady" is referenced to the legendary tragedy musical starring Judy Garland and the drama film adaptation directed by and starring Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper, A Star is Born and My Fair Lady. (the latter musical parodied in the second story which stars Disney Legend Julie Andrews who was unfortunately rejected from the movie version of said musical from Warner Bros. Pictures due to late WB CEO Jack Warner claiming she wasn't suitable for movie material yet and didn't get her silver screen debut until the pinnacle of her career in Disney films, the five-time Oscar record-breaker Mary Poppins was released in August of 1964.)
